Weight limits- Is it getting silly? :/

The proprietor of our local riding school is tearing her hair out because children are arriving to start riding and are already very plump, are not bendy or athletic, take a lot of effort to get on the pony and then should they fall off land like beached whales. She has strict weight limits and the ponies are only working at most in trot. Her ponies are often quite elderly but very fit and seen by vet regularly for her licence. It's a shame children get fat in the first place. When I was a child there may have been one Billy Bunter but most kids were like whippets. Now it's the other way round.
Also, when helping at events I'm surprised to see some men now look like women from the back, with quite large bottoms and thighs. I know this sounds fattist but really you can't ride as well or be as much use to the horse if you're overweight.
(That's not saying all thin people ride well I know there's a lot more to it than that).
When officiating at a riding club one day event last year I was horrified at the puffing and wheezing of some riders as they came through the finish, they also often then sat on their puffing wheezing horses without loosening girth or walking round to warm down. People do need to think more about their horses. I've never been skinny but I've always been very fit from working with horses and there's a difference to people who maybe ride at weekends who may be similar size but not fit, and that applies to skinny people too!
 
I suppose with the schoolmaster they are protecting their interests. They can't guarantee that every rider that comes to them will be able to sit in perfect balance through tempi changes piaffe etc. I have nothing against fat people but imagine 11stone out of balance bouncing around on that horse's back. If they are making a living out of this they probably want to TRY and ensure the horse is not put at risk to injury...besides their horse their rules
 
I definitely wouldn't want to put anyone over 10stone on my 14.3 connive, my pony my rules. What annoys me is the amount of people who keep asking when I'm going to get a bigger horse for my daughter because they feel at 5ft 8 she is too tall for him. This usually by riders that are in my opinion to big weight wise for their own.
 
A reasonably built horse of around 15 hh should be able to carry 12 stone. The key to weight carrying is width across the loins, and if you look from the front, the width of the chest.

Ponies are more able to carry weight for their size than horses.
 
I am always conscious of my weight as I am tall (5'9/10ish) and have a 13.2hh new forest pony. I don't weigh myself a lot but last time I was about 10st 2, however I think I am slightly heavier now. My pony carries me fine, I hack, school and jump him although I haven't jumped in a while. I would say I am a balanced rider so that helps. I wouldn't ride anything smaller but have ridden many different horses of a all ages and sizes up to 18hh and none have struggled with my weight, from fine Connies and TB's to ID's!
However, there are many riders who aren't light and balanced in the saddle and riders who aren't effective with their aids and I guess people are trying to minimise damage to their horses by putting a weight limit on them. I personally think that even a light weight rider can have a damaging effect if they are not balanced and would rather meet people and see them ride than send them away due to weight. I have had many light weight riders come to ride my pony but they are not effective and can't even get him to trot in a straight line where as I have had people my weight and slightly more get on and perform a beautiful dressage test with the pony looking happy and relaxed.

Edited to say, i have had him for almost 3years and he has never had a bad back. His back is actually looking the strongest it's ever been at the moment.
 
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How many people with a strict 10 stone limit would let William Fox Pitt or Carl Hester ride their horses?

Realistically WFP is unlikely to be under 12 and a half stone, so would ride at at least 13 stone including tack, and he's as skinny as a rake.

I'd also guess Carl Hester at about 13 stone. Any man around 6 foot is highly unlikely to be less than 11 stone. OH is light for his height and would have to carry NO muscle whatsoever to get under 11 stone, which wouldn't be conducive to good riding. From a different field, Mo Farah weighs 60kg (9 and a half) at 5'7 and would be about as fit as it's possible to be!

I know I'm overweight for my height/build, as although I'm more of a size 10 in skater type dresses I'm a size 12 to 14 in trousers as I'm a definite hourglass build (30H). Proper weight loss will have to wait about 9 months, but am fortunately craving fruit most of all and have built in portion control at the moment!
 
Can we just apply some common sense to this? I won't ride my TB. X cob 16.3 mare now as she would struggle with my weight. However, before you lot think I am 25 stone, it's because my mare was properly retired for 2 years and has lost ALL her muscle across her back. A good friend who is tiny is hacking her gently just to restore some tone and muscle, purely for my mares health. I evented said mare at novice when she was in full work and was definately well under what she was comfortable with. I struggle with my weight as I get older, but aim to alway stay well under what the limit would be for my horse. Slight cheat as he is a 16.3 fit ISH!
 
LittleRoodolphRider said:
I have nothing against fat people but imagine 11stone out of balance bouncing around on that horse's back. If they are making a living out of this they probably want to TRY and ensure the horse is not put at risk to injury...besides their horse their rules
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Steady on - since when is 11 stone necessarily "fat"? That basically means any competent male rider is out, and any women over a certain height. It's a massive difference in terms of suitability for a (decent sized horse) if someone is 11st because of height - all the weight won't be bouncing about because at least some of it will be legs etc. Someone who's 5ft and 11st isn't comparable to someone who's approaching 6ft at the same weight.
 
Very interested in this thread as am currently dieting to get down to a low enough weight to back my rising four year old. She is only 14.3hh and weigh tapes at 461kg and has 8 and 1/4 inches of bone. This is her:

taylahmiddec2014c_zpsb2943ecf.jpg


Now according to the much promoted 20% rule, she can carry 92.2kg which is 14 and 1/2 stone! Erm... I don't think so! I started my diet weighing 10st 11 and am now 10st 7, but still too heavy. I weighed my clothes yesterday and before boots, coat and hat, they weighed 5lbs! I reckon with boots, coat, BP and hat I am probably packing close to another stone. So my riding weight in winter is currently 11 and 1/2 stone. Then you have another stone for tack, so we are talking 12 and a half stone in total. Also there is my height - I am 5 ft 9 and 1/2.

Another thing to consider is the weight of the horse. If they are overweight, then they are already carrying extra and so their weight carrying ability would DECREASE not increase. So again, the 20% rule is rubbish.
 
JFTD said:
Steady on - since when is 11 stone necessarily "fat"? That basically means any competent male rider is out, and any women over a certain height. It's a massive difference in terms of suitability for a (decent sized horse) if someone is 11st because of height - all the weight won't be bouncing about because at least some of it will be legs etc. Someone who's 5ft and 11st isn't comparable to someone who's approaching 6ft at the same weight.
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I didn't mean its fat..I was considering/contemplating the reasoing behind this "rule"
 
lol I thought the same JFTD, been a while since I saw 11 stone ;) was surprised to see this thread come back to life though!

I'm pretty competent but would still go for schoolmaster lessons for position improvements etc/ride dressage moves I am trying to teach mine etc :p
 
LittleRoodolphRider said:
Plus i imagine they are not expecting anybody particularly competent to come and ride a schoolmaster?? As usual I've managed to make a mess of what I'm trying to say so I'll leave it there :)
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Surely that's exactly what you'd expect to ride a schoolmaster? Why let novices on something trained to pi/pa/piri/tempis etc - your market is going to be competent riders looking to get a feel for high level moves.

My point is, that if that's their reasoning, it's flawed!
 
I havn't read all the pages of posts just a few but have to say some people really are getting "picky" about the weight of a rider on there horse, i understand every horse is different in age, ability and even health so all can carry different weights but i am no little lady (I would rather not tell you my weight) but the way some people carry on i would not be aloud to ride my TB!
 
No I don't think it's silly at all.
Their horse, their choice what weight it carries - why put it under unnecessary strain.

Don't think the limits are unrealistic at all. I have a horse I can ride occasionally and have currently postponed riding as I was over my own weight limit - I've lost half a stone and feel ok to ride now, but will lose another stone and a half. I don't want to be bobbling about in the horses back, why should it carry my excess just because I stuffed myself with too much food over Christmas!
It's a real bug bear of mine - just because a horse can carry a huge amount of weight why should it have to? Horse and rider should both be of a healthy weight for height.
 
Also it's ridiculous to compare Carl Hester and WFP to an overweight rider. The former are at the top of their game - superb riders and extremely fit, it's just to comparable to an overweight rider!!!

I once overheard a plus size woman talking to a WOW saddler at an event, stating she was considering a new saddle as her horse had a bad back - Aaargh! If she had lost weight this would probably have helped her horse more than just buying a new saddle!
I really do beleive we owe it to our horses to keep a healthy weight if we want to ride! Long live the weight limit!!!
 
This thread is interesting and has also made me feel incredibly self conscious!

I'm 'up the duff' so no longer riding and weight is obviously currently out of the question but I've always been 5"10 with long legs and weighing 10stone. I've always been a size 10, no bigger and had been told by my doctor my BMI was low and I really I could do with putting on weight!! I do tend to go for bigger horses (mines 17.2hh) as that's my preference but a friends 15hh tb x takes my leg and she asks me to ride him and I've never thought twice.

But now I feel positively fat!
Aside from injuries or things like arthritis I do have to agree sometimes 10st limit is a bit silly. Especially for the 'average' person who isn't dead short...
 
Actually Carl Hester and WFP are the same "weight" at somewhere between 12 and 13 stone (quick google and guestimate). They are healthy and fit at that weight. There are plenty of other people who are healthy and fit at that weight (and in correct to underweight range for BMI). They are fantastic riders, but still weigh what they do - that weight is still going through the saddle - although it will be as evenly distributed as a saddle can allow.

Not talking rugby players, just an average (rather than spindly) built bloke - or a 6 foot tall woman. Maria Sharapova is apparently 59kg, again well over 9 stone at 6'2 - contrasting with the 5'7 Mo Farah whose weight is very similar. Implies that blokes (even spindly ones) will generally weigh more than a woman of the same height.

My personal attitude to weight is more or less irrelevant - my attitude is that I will tell (and tell again) horse owners how much I weigh as people seem to underestimate my weight. At approx 80kg and 5'5 and a bit I am overweight, and well aware of the fact. I ride at a riding school and have told the instructors how much I weigh - they are happy for me to ride the horses they put me on, who are (in common with all the horses at that RS) cobby, leg at each corner types... That said, my soon to be increasing weight will not be an issue for any horse for a yet to be determined amount of time (probably around a year). I intend to be lighter when I return.

Despite being that weight and height, people generally underestimate my weight - I have a small waist and ribcage with large boobs and carry a lot of the weight on thighs and behind. Because I have a waist (and until recently) a more or less flat stomach, people are generally quite surprised when I admit to being the wrong side of 80kg. That said I don't wear miniskirts or skinny jeans - I know what suits me!

OH's weight is more likely to be overestimated - at 6 foot tall and around 72kg but the extra weight he carries is around his midriff (muffin tops - sorry love!).

Clothes sizing is unlikely to be entirely decisive - I'm overweight (BMI 29) at 5'5 but because I am narrow through the ribcage and waist will be best in a 10 (admittedly modern sizes) for anything that flares from the waist and find it more or less impossible to acquire flattering trousers as anything that will go over my thunder thighs will be huge on my waist and behind - saggy is not a good look! Plenty of slimmer friends with broader shoulders or just a less ridiculously small rib cage would not fit a 10 on top.

I think because recreational riding is so female dominated, there is less sense of how much even a slim/skinny man would weigh. There is a reason flat jockeys are so short - they would not make the weight with enough strength to ride at anywhere near average height. Jump jockeys are larger - the minimum weight is 10 stone (dressed) but again most will be under average height to give them more chance of making the weight.
 
I weight 16.5 Stone, just to 'weigh' in to this debate ;) I weighed 10 stone when I was 13yo and swam for South England (not an ounce of fat on me)
I don't care if people think I should ride or not, that is my choice. The natural conclusion to can a horse carry the weight vs should a horse carry the weight is should a horse carry ANY weight ;)
My boy is in my signature, he is 17hh, chunky weight carrier, has an excellent back as checked by a variety of professionals. He competes at Novice/Elementary dressage beautifully and I am a well balanced athlete.
To the person who commented on a fat person looking to buy a new saddle because it back was bad is poorly informed of the main causes of bad backs in horses and is frankly rather rude.

There are so many different things to add into the decision, that said I think weight limits are a good thing for anyone commercial or looking for a loan as they are one way of minimising the risk. I have never lied about my weight to operations, I often offered to take my own horse.
 
Evie91 said:
Also it's ridiculous to compare Carl Hester and WFP to an overweight rider. The former are at the top of their game - superb riders and extremely fit, it's just to comparable to an overweight rider!!!
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But 12 stone is no more overweight for a 6ft "normal" man than it is for WFP or CH. Neither is it (necessarily) overweight for a tall woman... You're missing the point of those comparisons somewhat.
 
What I'm trying to say is that I think I owe to the horse I ride to be of a healthily weight. Why should the horse HAVE to carry extra pounds because eat too much. I watch my horses weight to ensure she stays healthy, I watch my own (albeit it's more difficult!).

I do think weight sits differently - fit muscles evenly distributed or wobbly fat! That is what I am trying to say about WFP - would rather someone ride my horse who was in proportion than say someone 5ft and 12 stone.

I just think of it from this point of view - would I rather carry a bag of toilet rolls or a bag of spuds! Lighter is easier. To me it just makes sense not to ask the horse to carry more than it has too - if healthily weight rather than obese.

To the poster who thinks I'm being rude - surely if a horse has a back problem, less weight to carry is going to be of benefit? Maybe as well as new saddle!
 
Evie91 said:
What I'm trying to say is that I think I owe to the horse I ride to be of a healthily weight. Why should the horse HAVE to carry extra pounds because eat too much.
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And what many other posters are trying to say is that many people are over an 11 stone weight limit despite being of a healthy weight and not eating too much. And therein lies the reference to WFP and CH.

With a well conditioned, decent height, decent conformation schoolmaster, it seems odd that a 10.5 stone overweight 5ft person is OK, but an 11 stone, healthy weight 5'10 woman is unacceptable. And that is why the weight limits are being questioned.
 
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